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Every once in a while I teach at my friend's kickboxing club, Refuse To Fall. Look it up on Facebook if you live in Vancouver. He asked me to design some new T-shirts for him, here's the second one. Here's the first

While the art is good. My first reaction to it as a design attached to a dojo is. They teach you to get beat up. I understand the message of never give up never surrender I saw Galaxy Quest too. But for me martial arts is not about taking punishment. It should be about protecting yourself and utilizing what you have both in training and body to overcome an attack, rather than absorb it.

well many styles have a flaw in them when they're talking about dodging this that and the other, my karate style taught me to deal with pain, and still not get knocked out, i walked up like the terminator in my first kickboxing sparring match, i got several punches in my face but landed the knockout punch

I think that the whole get hit and keep going is not so much a product of the style one takes, it's more about the individual. Some people can not be taught to take a hit. It's just not in them. You are taking about competition fighting which I do respect, is a completely different animal then a street fight.

While I am a fan of MMA and other fighting sports. When I think of a DOJO I think self protection. In MMA it's great to bring your opponent down ground and pound. It's a sport it's one on one. But a street fight most times it's not a fair fight it's you vs that dude and his three drunk buddies over some dumb shit. Going to the ground with one will get you simply stomped out by his buddies. Stand up and being able to stay mobile and as unhurt as possible. Is what will make that encounter survivable.

And yeah I can totally see the Rocky Balboa reference in your design. I liked the art. It was the snap message, I picked up from it, that to me made it not the best design. It's a tricky thing you won't be able to satisfy everyone of course. End of the day your client in this case your friend is the final judge of whether you hit the mark or not.

i totally get what you mean about street vs sport combat, in the street if someone goes to the ground i'm gonna kick em and run but to me dodging to me waists a lot of energy you could use to be knockin the other guy out and take care of his other drunk friends

The most wasteful use of energy in a fight is to swing and miss. This I believe and I've heard experts say the same. Boxing MMA. Plus the bonus of having an opponent off balance cause he or she committed themselves to an attack that didn't land. The punch that misses was energy, getting back in balance is energy, moving back out of danger from counter attack is energy.